ALBANY, N.Y. — Influential Republican-Conservative leader John Faso has endorsed GOP designee Rick Lazio over tea party-aligned challenger Carl Paladino.

Faso, the Republican and Conservative candidate for governor in 2006, had endorsed Steve Levy in March. Levy is the Democratic Suffolk County executive who enrolled as a Republican to seek the GOP nomination for governor, but has since withdrawn.

Faso says only Lazio has the character, integrity and ability to fix what Faso calls the mess in Albany.

Faso is the former minority leader of the Assembly and has since become a leading voice among conservative Republicans.

The announcement Tuesday comes during a critical fundraising week for Lazio against Paladino, a millionaire developer from Buffalo.

The Democratic nominee is Andrew Cuomo.